STORM LAKE, Iowa (April 15, 2022) - The Buena Vista softball team was back at home on a cool afternoon to host Luther College in an American Rivers Conference doubleheader.  Luther used a big three-run home run in the opener to come from behind and edge BVU, 3-2, before the Beavers powered their way to an 8-3 victory in the finale to earn the split.

Game one was a tough pitcher's duel throughout with the two teams combining for only five hits in the contest.  BVU got a pair of unearned runs in the fourth to grab a 2-0 lead.  Chloe Wells hit a ground ball to short that was misplayed and wound up in right center field, allowing Carlee Guyett to come around and score all the way from first.  Wells used her wheels and moved into second base and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly from Nattie Murillo.

The Norse would rally in the sixth after senior pitcher Ashtyn Miller retired the first batter.  Following a single and a walk, Abby Spore hit an opposite field line drive home run to right center field which put Luther in front for the first time at 3-2.  BVU got the tying run into scoring position with just one out in the seventh but was left stranded at third.

Miller went the distance inside the circle and suffered the hard-luck loss for the second straight week.  She allowed just three hits, walked four and struck out seven.  She also tallied one of the team's two hits in the contest with Murillo adding the other.

BVU scored in each of the first four innings of game two and never looked back.  After Guyett led off the game with a double to the gap in left center, Miller later drove her in with an RBI single to center.  With the double, Guyett became the program's first-ever player to reach 200 career base hits.  Madalyn Elwood doubled the score in the second with an RBI double before Murillo and Rylee Cain each doubled home a run in the third with Alyssa Barnhart adding a run-scoring single.

Miller came through with the bat yet again in the fourth with a deep foul out down the first base line that drove in a run to make it 6-0.  Luther (15-9, 4-4 A-R-C) cut the deficit in half in the fifth with a 3-run home run but that was as close as the Norse would get.  Wells and Miller each doubled home runs in the sixth for the game's final score.

Miller finished 2-for-3 with three RBI while Guyett and Barnhart each tallied two hits and scored two runs.  BVU finished with 12 hits, including eight doubles.  Senior Peyton Gross, who made her 50th career start inside the circle, picked up the win going all seven innings, scattering eight hits, walking four and striking out nine.

Buena Vista is now 20-10 overall (4-4 A-R-C) and is back in action on Tuesday, April 19, for a road doubleheader at Simpson College (17-10, 2-4 A-R-C).